MiR-21 modulates the polarization of macrophages and increases the effects of M2 macrophages on promoting the chemoresistance of ovarian cancer

miR-21 Responsive Nanocarrier Targeting Ovarian Cancer Cells

In recent years, DNA origami-based nanocarriers have been extensively utilized for efficient cancer therapy. However, developing a nanocarrier capable of effectively protecting cargos such as RNA remains a challenge. In this study, we designed a compact and controllable DNA tubular origami (DTO) measuring 120 nm in length and 18 nm in width. The DTO exhibited appropriate structural characteristics for encapsulating and safeguarding cargo. Inside the DTO, we incorporated 20 connecting points to facilitate the delivery of cargoes to various ovarian and normal epithelial cell lines. Specifically, fluorescent-labeled DNA strands were attached to these sites as cargoes. The DTO was engineered to open upon encountering miR-21 through RNA/DNA strand displacement. Significantly, for the first time, we inhibited fluorescence using the compact DNA nanotube and observed dynamic fluorescent signals, indicating the controllable opening of DTO through live-cell imaging. Our results demonstrated that the DTO remained properly closed, exhibited effective internalization in ovarian cancer cells in vitro, showcasing marked differential expression of miR-21, and efficiently opened with short-term exposure to miR-21. Leveraging its autonomous behavior and compact design, the DTO emerges as a promising nanocarrier for various clinically relevant materials. It holds significant application prospects in anti-cancer therapy and the development of flexible biosensors.

Role of MicroRNA-21 in Prostate Cancer Progression and Metastasis: Molecular Mechanisms to Therapeutic Targets

The role of noncoding RNA has made remarkable progress in understanding progression, metastasis, and metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). A better understanding of the miRNAs has enhanced our knowledge of their targeting mainly at the therapy level in solid tumors, such as prostate cancer (PCa). microRNAs (miRNAs) belong to a class of endogenous RNA that deficit encoded proteins. Therefore, the role of miRNAs has been well-coined in the progression and development of PCa. miR-21 has a dual nature in its work both as a tumor suppressor and oncogenic role, but most of the recent studies showed that miR-21 is a tumor promoter and also is involved in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Upregulation of miR-21 suppresses programmed cell death and inducing metastasis and castration resistant in PCa. miR-21 is involved in the different stages, such as proliferation, angiogenesis, migration, and invasion, and plays an important role in the progression, metastasis, and advanced stages of PCa. Recently, various studies directly linked the role of high levels of miR-21 with a poor therapeutic response in the patient of PCa. In the present review, we have explained the molecular mechanisms/pathways of miR-21 in PCa progression, metastasis, and castration resistant and summarized the role of miR-21 in diagnosis and therapeutic levels in PCa. In addition, we have spotlighted the recent therapeutic strategies for targeting different stages of PCa.

ALKBH5 modulates macrophages polarization in tumor microenvironment of ovarian cancer

BACKGROUND

Macrophages play an essential role in regulating ovarian cancer immune microenvironment. Studies have shown that m6A methylation could influence immune microenvironment in cancer. In this study, we investigated the roles of m6A demethylase ALKBH5 and m6A recognition protein IGF2BP2 played in regulating macrophages polarization in ovarian cancer.

METHODS

In this study, we first explored the differentially expressed m6A methylation enzymes in M0 and M2 macrophages according to two independent GEO datasets. TIMER2.0 and GSCA database were used to explore the immune analysis of ALKBH5 and IGF2BP2 in ovarian cancer. K-M plotter and TIMER2.0 databases were used to evaluate the prognostic role of ALKBH5 and IGF2BP2 in ovarian cancer. For CNV mutation analysis of ALKBH5 and IGF2BP2, cBioPortal and GSCA databases were used. For single-cell analysis, sc-TIME and HPA softwares were used to analyze the roles of ALKBH5 and IGF2BP2 played in immune cells in ovarian cancer. To identify the role of ALKBH5 played in macrophage polarization, RT-PCR was used to verify the macrophage polarization related markers in vitro study. The function of ALKBH5 played in ovarian cancer was further analyzed through GO and KEGG analysis.

FINDINGS

In this study, we found that ALKBH5 and IGF2BP2 were up-regulated in M2 macrophages, which showed closely correlation with immune cells expressions in ovarian cancer, especially with macrophages. Ovarian cancer patients with higher expression of ALKBH5 and IGF2BP2 showed worse prognosis, possibly because of their close correlation with immune response. ALKBH5 also correlated with macrophage phenotypes in single-cell levels analysis. However, the expression level of IGF2BP2 in ovarian cancer immune microenvironment was very low. The results of RT-PCR indicated the potential role of ALKBH5 in M2 polarization of macrophages.

INTERPRETATION

ALKBH5 participated in regulating macrophage M2 polarization in ovarian cancer immune microenvironment.

Targeting M2-like tumor-associated macrophages is a potential therapeutic approach to overcome antitumor drug resistance

Tumor drug resistance emerges from the interaction of two critical factors: tumor cellular heterogeneity and the immunosuppressive nature of the tumor microenvironment (TME). Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) constitute essential components of the TME. M2-like TAMs are essential in facilitating tumor metastasis as well as augmenting the drug resistance of tumors. This review encapsulates the mechanisms that M2-like TAMs use to promote tumor drug resistance. We also describe the emerging therapeutic strategies that are currently targeting M2-like TAMs in combination with other antitumor drugs, with some still undergoing clinical trial evaluation. Furthermore, we summarize and analyze various existing approaches for developing novel drugs that target M2-like TAMs to overcome tumor resistance, highlighting how targeting M2-like TAMs can effectively stop tumor growth, metastasis, and overcome tumor drug resistance.

The potential role of miRNA in regulating macrophage polarization

Macrophage polarization is a dynamic process determining the outcome of various physiological and pathological situations through inducing pro-inflammatory responses or resolving inflammation via exerting anti-inflammatory effects. The miRNAs are epigenetic regulators of different biologic pathways that target transcription factors and signaling molecules to promote macrophage phenotype transition and regulate immune responses. Modulating the macrophage activation, differentiation, and polarization by miRNAs is crucial for immune responses in response to microenvironmental signals and under various physiological and pathological conditions. In term of clinical significance, regulating macrophage polarization via miRNAs could be utilized for inflammation control. Also, understanding the role of miRNAs in macrophage polarization can provide insights into diagnostic strategies associated with dysregulated miRNAs and for developing macrophage-centered therapeutic methods. In this case, targeting miRNAs to further regulate of macrophage polarization may become an efficient strategy for treating immune-associated disorders. The current review investigated and categorized various miRNAs directly or indirectly involved in macrophage polarization by targeting different transcription factors and signaling pathways. In addition, prospects for regulating macrophage polarization via miRNA as a therapeutic choice that could be implicated in various pathological conditions, including cancer or inflammation-mediated injuries, were discussed.

LncRNA ASB16-AS1 accelerates cellular process and chemoresistance of ovarian cancer cells by regulating GOLM1 expression via targeting miR-3918

BACKGROUND

Reportedly, ovarian cancer (OC) is a major threat to women's health. Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) ASB16-AS1 has been uncovered to participate in cancer progression. Nevertheless, the role of ASB16-AS1 in OC remains to be revealed.

PURPOSE

This study aimed to unveil the biological function of ASB16-AS1 and its underlying mechanisms in OC cells.

METHODS

QRT-PCR was done to test ASB16-AS1 expression in OC cells. Functional assays were performed to evaluate the malignant behaviors and cisplatin resistance of OC cells. Mechanistic analyses were done to investigate the regulatory molecular mechanism in OC cells.

RESULTS

ASB16-AS1 was found to be highly expressed in OC cells. ASB16-AS1 knockdown repressed proliferation, migration, and invasion of OC cells, while facilitating cell apoptosis. ASB16-AS1 was further validated to up-regulate GOLM1 through competitively binding with miR-3918. Moreover, miR-3918 overexpression was corroborated to suppress OC cell growth. Rescue assays further uncovered that ASB16-AS1 modulated the malignant processes of OC cells via targeting miR-3918/GOLM1 axis.

CONCLUSION

ASB16-AS1 facilitates the malignant processes and chemoresistance of OC cells via serving as miR-3918 sponge and positively modulating GOLM1 expression.

A comprehensive analysis of the role of QPRT in breast cancer

To explore the clinical role of QPRT in breast cancer. The gene expression, methylation levels and prognostic value of QPRT in breast cancer was analyzed using TCGA data. Validation was performed using the data from GEO dataset and TNMPLOT database. Meta analysis method was used to pool the survival data for QPRT. The predictive values of QPRT for different drugs were retrieved from the ROC plot. The expression differences of QPRT in acquired drug-resistant and sensitive cell lines were analyzed using GEO datasets. GO and KEGG enrichment analysis were conducted for those genes which were highly co-expressed with QPRT in tissue based on TCGA data and which changed after QPRT knockdown. Timer2.0 was utilized to explore the correlation between QPRT and immune cells infiltration, and the Human Protein Atlas was used to analyse QPRT's single-cell sequencing data across different human tissues. The expression of QPRT in different types of macrophages, and the expression of QPRT were analysed after coculturing HER2+ breast cancer cells with macrophages. Additionally, TargetScan, Comparative Toxicogenomics and the connectivity map were used to research miRNAs and drugs that could regulate QPRT expression. Cytoscape was used to map the interaction networks between QPRT and other proteins. QPRT was highly expressed in breast cancer tissue and highly expressed in HER2+ breast cancer patients (P < 0.01). High QPRT expression levels were associated with worse OS, DMFS, and RFS (P < 0.01). Two sites (cg02640602 and cg06453916) were found to be potential regulators of breast cancer (P < 0.01). QPRT might predict survival benefits in breast cancer patients who received taxane or anthracycline. QPRT was associated with tumour immunity, especially in macrophages. QPRT may influence the occurrence and progression of breast cancer through the PI3K-AKT signalling pathway, Wnt signalling pathway, and cell cycle-related molecules.

Tumor cell-derived exosomes regulate macrophage polarization: Emerging directions in the study of tumor genesis and development

As an extracellular vesicle, exosomes play an important role in intercellular information transmission, delivering cargos of the parent cell, such as RNA, DNA, proteins, and lipids, activating different signaling pathways in the target cell and regulating inflammation, angiogenesis, and tumor progression. In particular, exosomes secreted by tumor cells can change the function of surrounding cells, creating a microenvironment conducive to tumor growth and metastasis. For example, after macrophages phagocytose exosomes and accept their cargos, they activate macrophage polarization-related signaling pathways and polarize macrophages into M1 or M2 types to exert antitumor or protumor functions. Currently, the study of exosomes affecting the polarization of macrophages has attracted increasing attention. Therefore, this paper reviews relevant studies in this field to better understand the mechanism of exosome-induced macrophage polarization and provide evidence for exploring novel targets for tumor therapy and new diagnostic markers in the future.

The impact of microRNAs on the resistance of breast cancer subtypes to chemotherapy

Breast cancer (BC) formation is primarily influenced by genetics, epigenetics and environmental factors. Aberrant Genetics and epigenetics leads to a condition known as heterogeneity. The heterogeneity of BC can be divided into several subtypes. Among the epigenetic factors, microRNAs (miRNAs) have been shown to play a crucial role in the development and progression of malignancies. These small non-coding RNAs regulate gene expression through a variety of mechanisms, resulting in either mRNA degradation or translation repression. As miRNAs directly control many proteins, genetic anomalies affect tumor metastasis, apoptosis, proliferation, and cell transportation. Consequently, miRNA dysregulations contribute not only in cancer development but also in invasiveness, proliferation rate and more importantly, drug response. Findings mostly indicate subtype-specified identical miRNA profile in BC. Among the BC subtypes, TNBC, HER2 + and luminal are the most resistant to therapy, respectively. Therapy resistance is greatly associated with miRNA expression profile. Hence, concentration of miRNA is the first marker of its role in chemotherapy response. Overexpressed miRNAs may disrupt drug efflux transporters and decrease the drug accumulation in cell. While down-regulated miRNAs which mediate drug resistance processes are mostly correlated with poor treatment response. Moreover, other mechanisms in which miRNAs play crucial roles in chemoresistance such as cell receptor mediations, dysregulation by environmental factors, DNA defects, etc. Recently, several miRNA-based treatments have shown promising results in cancer treatment. Inhibition of up-regulated miRNAs is one of these therapeutic approaches whilst transfecting cell with down-regulated miRNAs also show promising results. Moreover, drug-resistance could also be determined while in the pre-treatment phase via expression levels of miRNAs. Therefore, miRNAs provide intriguing insights and challenges in overcoming chemoresistance. In this article, we have discussed how miRNAs regulate breast cancer subtypes-specific chemoresistance.

Role of miR-21 in the diagnosis of colorectal cancer: Meta-analysis and bioinformatics

Advanced colorectal cancer (CRC) has a bad prognosis and is challenging to cure. Therefore, there is an urgent need for an effective early diagnosis marker. MicroRNA-21 (miR-21) regulates the expression of multiple cancer target genes. The objective of this study was to assess the diagnostic role of miR-21 in CRC.A meta-analysis of PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases was performed with a carefully designed search strategy to identify records related to the diagnostic role of miR-21 in CRC. TCGA data was used to search for different microRNAs in colorectal cancer samples and surrounding tissues. In addition, potential target genes for miR-21 were predicted and evaluated by functional analysis. We conducted a meta-analysis for 10 studies, including 728 blood samples of patients with CRC and 472 healthy controls. The combined sensitivity and specificity of miR-21 to diagnose colorectal cancer were 0.79 (95% CI: 0.67-0.87) and 0.92 (95% CI: 0.85-0.96), respectively. The combined positive likelihood ratio (PLR) was 10.20 (95% CI: 4.8-21.5), the combined negative likelihood ratio (NLR) was 0.23 (95% CI: 0.14-0.37), the diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) was 45.00 (95% CI:15-132), the area under the summary receiver operating characteristic curve (SROC) for the included studies was 0.93(95%CI: 0.91-0.95). Simultaneously, TCGA data showed that miR-21 was a differential microRNA in colorectal cancer tissues and adjacent tissues, and it was an up-regulated gene. After verification by three databases, 48 target genes of miR-21 were obtained. Through GO enrichment analysis, it was found that the target genes were mainly distributed in the fiber center, the molecular function was mainly focused on cytokine receptor binding, and the biological process was mainly focused on ubiquitin-dependent protein catabolism mediated by the proteasome. KEGG pathway analysis showed that the target genes were mainly distributed in tumor pathways.

MicroRNA-21 in gynecological cancers: From molecular pathogenesis to clinical significance

Ovarian, cervical, and endometrial cancers are the three most common gynecological cancer types (GCs). They hold a significant position as the leading causes of mortality among women with cancer-related death. However, GCs are often diagnosed late, severely limiting the efficacy of current treatment options. Thus, there is an urgent, unmet need for innovative experimentation to enhance the clinical treatment of GC patients. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a large and varied class of short noncoding RNAs (22 nucleotides in length) that have been shown to play essential roles in various biological processes involved in development. Recent research has shown that miR-211 influences tumorigenesis and cancer formation, adding to our knowledge of the miR-21 dysregulation in GCs. Furthermore, current research that sheds light on the crucial functions of miR-21 may provide supporting evidence for its potential prognostic, diagnostic, and therapeutic applications in the context of GCs. This review will thus focus on the most recent findings concerning miR-21 expression, miR-21 target genes, and the processes behind GCs. In addition, the latest findings that support miR-21's potential use as a non-invasive biomarker and therapeutic agent for detecting and treating cancer will be elucidated in this review. The roles played by various lncRNA/circRNA-miRNA-mRNA axis in GCs are also comprehensively summarized and described in this study, along with any possible implications for how these regulatory networks may contribute to the pathogenesis of GCs. Also, it is crucial to recognize the complexity of the processes involved in tumour therapeutic resistance as a significant obstacle in treating GCs. Furthermore, this review provides an overview of the current state of knowledge regarding the functional significance miR-21 in therapeutic resistance within the context of GCs.

Comprehensive Investigation Illustrates the Role of M2 Macrophages and Its Related Genes in Pancreatic Cancer

Background and Objectives: M2 macrophages play an important role in cancers. Our study aimed to illustrate the effect of M2 macrophages in pancreatic cancer (PC). Materials and Methods: The open-access data used for analysis were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas Program database, as well as some online databases. R software was mainly used for data analysis based on the specific packages. Results: Here, we comprehensively investigated the role of M2 macrophages and their related genes in PC. We performed the biological enrichment of M2 macrophages in PC. Meanwhile, we identified adenosine A3 receptor (TMIGD3) as the interest gene for further analysis. The single-cell analysis showed that was mainly expressed in the Mono/Macro cells based on the data from multiple data cohorts. Biological investigation showed that TMIGD3 was primarily enriched in angiogenesis, pancreas-beta cells and TGF-beta signaling. Tumor microenvironment analysis indicated that TMIGD3 was positively correlated with monocyte_MCPCOUNTER, NK cell_MCPCOUNTER, macrophages M2_CIBERSORT, macrophage_EPIC, neutrophil_TIMER and endothelial cell_MCPCOUNTER. Interestingly, we determined that all the immune functions quantified by single sample gene set enrichment analysis algorithms were activated in the patients with high TMIGD3 expression. Conclusions: Our results provide a novel direction for the research focused on the M2 macrophages in PC. Meanwhile, TMIGD3 was identified as an M2 macrophage-related biomarker for PC.

Potential Pathogenic Impact of Cow’s Milk Consumption and Bovine Milk-Derived Exosomal MicroRNAs in Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma

Epidemiological evidence supports an association between cow’s milk consumption and the risk of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), the most common non-Hodgkin lymphoma worldwide. This narrative review intends to elucidate the potential impact of milk-related agents, predominantly milk-derived exosomes (MDEs) and their microRNAs (miRs) in lymphomagenesis. Upregulation of PI3K-AKT-mTORC1 signaling is a common feature of DLBCL. Increased expression of B cell lymphoma 6 (BCL6) and suppression of B lymphocyte-induced maturation protein 1 (BLIMP1)/PR domain-containing protein 1 (PRDM1) are crucial pathological deviations in DLBCL. Translational evidence indicates that during the breastfeeding period, human MDE miRs support B cell proliferation via epigenetic upregulation of BCL6 (via miR-148a-3p-mediated suppression of DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) and miR-155-5p/miR-29b-5p-mediated suppression of activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AICDA) and suppression of BLIMP1 (via MDE let-7-5p/miR-125b-5p-targeting of PRDM1). After weaning with the physiological termination of MDE miR signaling, the infant’s BCL6 expression and B cell proliferation declines, whereas BLIMP1-mediated B cell maturation for adequate own antibody production rises. Because human and bovine MDE miRs share identical nucleotide sequences, the consumption of pasteurized cow’s milk in adults with the continued transfer of bioactive bovine MDE miRs may de-differentiate B cells back to the neonatal “proliferation-dominated” B cell phenotype maintaining an increased BLC6/BLIMP1 ratio. Persistent milk-induced epigenetic dysregulation of BCL6 and BLIMP1 expression may thus represent a novel driving mechanism in B cell lymphomagenesis. Bovine MDEs and their miR cargo have to be considered potential pathogens that should be removed from the human food chain.

Hsa_circRNA_001859 regulates pancreatic cancer progression and epithelial-mesenchymal transition through the miR-21-5p/SLC38A2 pathway

OBJECTIVE: This study attempts to investigate whether hsa_circRNA_001859 (circ_001859) could regulate the proliferation and invasion of pancreatic cancer through the miR-21-5p/SLC38A2 pathway. METHODS: GSE79634 microarray was analyzed with R package. The expression of circ_001859 in pancreatic cancer tissues and cells was verified by qRT-PCR. After the overexpression of circ_001859, cell proliferation, cell migration and invasion were verified by colony formation and transwell assay. The targeting relationship between miR-21-5p and circ_001859 was predicted by TargetScan and was verified by dual luciferase reporter assay, RNA pull down and qRT-PCR. The effect of miR-21-5p on cell proliferation, migration and invasion were investigated by colony formation and transwell assay respectively. Similarly, the targeting relationship between miR-21-5p and SLC38A2 was predicted by TargetScan and was verified by dual luciferase reporter assay, western blot and qRT-PCR. The effect of SLC38A2 on cell proliferation was investigated by colony formation. RESULTS: Circ_001859 was lowly expressed in pancreatic cancer tissues and cells. In vitro assays showed that overexpression of circ_001859 could inhibit the proliferation, migration and invasion of pancreatic cancer. In addition, this effect was also confirmed in xenograft transplantation model. Circ_001859 could be bind to miR-21-5p and sponge its expression in pancreatic cancer cells. Overexpression of miR-21-5p enhanced the proliferation, migration and invasion ability of pancreatic cancer cells, while the inhibition of miR-21-5p expression suppressed these abilities. Moreover, miR-21-5p directly targeted at SLC38A2 and inhibited SLC38A2 expression levels while circ_001859 up-regulated SLC38A2 levels. SLC38A2 expression knockdown enhanced cell proliferation but SLC38A2 overexpression resulted in decreased proliferation, and effects of SLC38A2 could be rescued by miR-21-5p and circ_001859. In addition, both QRT-PCR and immunofluorescence confirmed that circ_001859 could regulate tumor epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) through the miR-21-5p/SLC38A2 pathway. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that circ_001859 may inhibit the proliferation, invasion and EMT of pancreatic cancer through the miR-21-5p/SLC38A2 pathway.

In situ detection of exosomal RNAs for cancer diagnosis

Exosomes are considered as biomarkers reflecting the physiological state of the human body. Studies have revealed that the expression levels of specific exosomal RNAs are closely associated with certain cancers. Thus, detection of exosomal RNA offers a new avenue for liquid biopsy of cancers. Many exosomal RNA detection methods based on various principles have been developed, and most of the methods detect the extracted RNAs after lysing exosomes. Besides complex and time-consuming extraction steps, a major drawback of this approach is the degradation of the extracted RNAs in the absence of plasma membrane and cytosol. In addition, there is considerable loss of RNAs during their extraction. In situ detection of exosomal RNAs can avoid these drawbacks, thus allowing higher diagnostic reliability. In this paper, in situ detection of exosomal RNAs was systematically reviewed from the perspectives of detection methods, transport methods of the probe systems, probe structures, signal amplification strategies, and involved functional materials. Furthermore, the limitations and possible improvements of the current in situ detection methods for exosomal RNAs towards the clinical diagnostic application are discussed. This review aims to provide a valuable reference for the development of in situ exosomal RNA detection strategies for non-invasive diagnosis of cancers. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Certain RNAs have been identified as valuable biomarkers for some cancers, and sensitive detection of cancer-related RNAs is expected to achieve better diagnostic efficacy. Currently, the detection of exosomal RNAs is receiving increasing attention due to their high stability and significant concentration differences between patients and healthy individuals. In situ detection of exosomal RNAs has greater diagnostic reliability due to the avoidance of RNA degradation and loss. However, this mode is still limited by some factors such as detection methods, transport methods of the probe systems, probe structures, signal amplification strategies, etc. This review focuses on the progress of in situ detection of exosomal RNAs and aims to promote the development of this field.

Pre-clinical and clinical importance of miR-21 in human cancers: Tumorigenesis, therapy response, delivery approaches and targeting agents

The field of non-coding RNA (ncRNA) has made significant progress in understanding the pathogenesis of diseases and has broadened our knowledge towards their targeting, especially in cancer therapy. ncRNAs are a large family of RNAs with microRNAs (miRNAs) being one kind of endogenous RNA which lack encoded proteins. By now, miRNAs have been well-coined in pathogenesis and development of cancer. The current review focuses on the role of miR-21 in cancers and its association with tumor progression. miR-21 has both oncogenic and onco-suppressor functions and most of the experiments are in agreement with the tumor-promoting function of this miRNA. miR-21 primarily decreases PTEN expression to induce PI3K/Akt signaling in cancer progression. Overexpression of miR-21 inhibits apoptosis and is vital for inducing pro-survival autophagy. miR-21 is vital for metabolic reprogramming and can induce glycolysis to enhance tumor progression. miR-21 stimulates EMT mechanisms and increases expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 thereby elevating tumor metastasis. miR-21 is a target of anti-cancer agents such as curcumin and curcumol and its down-regulation impairs tumor progression. Upregulation of miR-21 results in cancer resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Increasing evidence has revealed the role of miR-21 as a biomarker as it is present in both the serum and exosomes making them beneficial biomarkers for non-invasive diagnosis of cancer.

Bioinformatics analysis of markers based on m6 A related to prognosis combined with immune invasion of renal clear cell carcinoma

The incidence rate of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is about 3% of all adult cancers. Of these, the Kidney clear cell renal cell carcinoma (KIRC) is the most common type, accounting for about 70%-75% of RCC. KIRC is difficult to be detected in time clinically. KIRC still has no effective treatment at this stage. We combined high-throughput bioinformatics analysis to obtained the structural sequence transcriptome data, relevant clinical information, and m⁶ A gene map of KIRC patients from genomics TCGA database. Pearson's correlation analysis was used to explore m⁶ A related gene long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), and then univariate Cox regression analysis was performed to screen the prognostic role of KIRC patients. Lasso-Cox regression was performed to establish the lncRNAs risk model associated with m⁶ A.LINC02154 and AC016773.2, Z98200.2, AL161782.1, EMX2OS, AC021483.2, CD27-AS1, AC006213.3 were iidentif. Compared with the low-risk group, the overall survival of patients in the high-risk group was significantly worse. Analyzing whether there are differences in immune cells between high-risk and low-risk subgroups. There were CD4 memory resting, Monocytes, Macrophages M1, Dendritic cells activated, Mast cells resting, which had higher infiltrations in the low-risk group. We performed Go enrichment analysis, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis and gene set enrichment analysis enrichment analysis. Overall, our results suggest that the component of m6A-related lncRNAs in the prognostic signal may be a key mediator in the immune microenvironment of KIRC, which represents a promising therapeutic effect.

Targeted therapy and immunotherapy: Diamonds in the rough in the treatment of epithelial ovarian cancer

Currently, for ovarian cancer, which has the highest mortality rate among all gynecological cancers, the standard treatment protocol is initial tumor cytoreductive surgery followed by platinum-based combination chemotherapy. Although the survival rate after standard treatment has improved, the therapeutic effect of traditional chemotherapy is very limited due to problems such as resistance to platinum-based drugs and recurrence. With the advent of the precision medicine era, molecular targeted therapy has gradually entered clinicians' view, and individualized precision therapy has been realized, surpassing the limitations of traditional therapy. The detection of genetic mutations affecting treatment, especially breast cancer susceptibility gene (BRCA) mutations and mutations of other homologous recombination repair defect (HRD) genes, can guide the targeted drug treatment of patients, effectively improve the treatment effect and achieve a better patient prognosis. This article reviews different sites and pathways of targeted therapy, including angiogenesis, cell cycle and DNA repair, and immune and metabolic pathways, and the latest research progress from preclinical and clinical trials related to ovarian cancer therapy.

Necroptosis-Related Modification Patterns Depict the Tumor Microenvironment, Redox Stress Landscape, and Prognosis of Ovarian Cancer

Necroptosis is one of programmed cell death discovered recently, which involves in tumorigenesis, cancer metastasis, and immune reaction. We studied the necroptosis-related genes (NRGs) in ovarian cancer (OV) tissues using data from public databases, which separated into two NRGclusters. Patients in cluster A would have severe clinical characteristics, poor prognosis, and worse tumor microenvironment infiltration characteristics. The NRG score was achieved through the Cox analysis, along with a construction of a prognostic model. People with lower risk score would have better prognosis, lower expression of redox related genes, higher immunogenicity, and better effect on immunotherapy. In addition, the NRG score was closely related to cancer stem cell index, copy number variations, tumor mutation load, and chemosensitivity. We built a nomogram to enhance clinical application of the signature. These outcomes can help use know the function of NRGs in OV and provide new ideas for evaluating clinical outcome and developing more effective treatment protocols.

Epidermal growth factor activates a hypoxia-inducible factor 1α-microRNA-21 axis to inhibit aquaporin 4 in chronic rhinosinusitis

The pathogenesis of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is largely unknown, but accumulating evidence supports the role of the airway epithelium in its pathophysiology. In our study here, we evaluated whether epidermal growth factor (EGF) regulates a hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α)-microRNA-21 (miR-21)-aquaporin 4 (AQP4) axis in nasal epithelial cells from CRS patients. We found that, compared with normal sinus mucosa, EGF, HIF-1α, and miR-21 were upregulated and AQP4 was downregulated in sinus mucosa from patients with CRS and in a CRS mouse model. It was established that EGF upregulated HIF-1α and miR-21 expression, that HIF-1α regulated miR-21 transcription, and that the AQP4 gene was a target of miR-21. Knockdown of EGF and HIF-1α mRNAs and of miR-21, or overexpression of AQP4 mRNA, inhibited proliferation and promoted apoptosis of hypoxia-exposed human nasal epithelial cells, effects that were associated with reduced levels of α-SMA, fibronectin, and vimentin, as well as promoted caspase-3 activity and E-cadherin levels. In the mouse CRS model, EGF elevation increased in vivo production of inflammatory IL-4 and IFN-γ to promote CRS, which was reversed by AQP4 elevation. Collectively, EGF upregulates HIF-1α and miR-21 expression to inhibit AQP4 expression, thereby promoting the proliferation of nasal epithelial cells and the development of CRS.

Effect of Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells (BMSCs) with High miR-183-5p Expression on Ovarian Cancer Cells by Regulating Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3 (STAT3)

Currently, the treatment for ovarian cancer (OC) is not satisfactory. The microRNAs may have an important function in tumor pathogenesis. miR-183-5p involves in several tumors. However, its effect on OC cells is unclear. The BMSCs could regulate the micro-environment of tumor and participate in tumor procession. In this study, effect of BMSCs with highly-expressed miR-183-5p on OC cells was assessed. The BMSCs with highly-expressed miR-183-5p was established and co-cultivated with OC cell line SKOV3 followed by measuring miR-183-5p level by PCR, STAT3 and ADAM9 expression by western blot. miR-183-5p level in OC cells was reduced and further decreased after co-culture with BMSCs along with enhance cell proliferation and upregulated STAT3 expression (P < 0.05). In addition, miR-183-5p level was increased in BMSCs with highly-expressed miR-183-5p and STAT3 expression was reduced along with restrained cell proliferation (P < 0.05). In conclusion, miR-183-5p in OC cells is downregulated and malignant biological behaviors of OC cells are restrained by BMSCs with highly-expressed miR-183-5p possibly through regulating the expression of STAT3.

Molecular subtypes, clinical significance, and tumor immune landscape of angiogenesis-related genes in ovarian cancer

Angiogenesis is a physiological process, where new blood vessels are formed from pre-existing vessels through the mechanism called sprouting. It plays a significant role in supporting tumor growth and is expected to provide novel therapeutic ideas for treating tumors that are resistant to conventional therapies. We investigated the expression pattern of angiogenesis-related genes (ARGs) in ovarian cancer (OV) from public databases, in which the patients could be classified into two differential ARG clusters. It was observed that patients in ARGcluster B would have a better prognosis but lower immune cell infiltration levels in the tumor microenvironment. Then ARG score was computed based on differentially expressed genes via cox analysis, which exhibited a strong correlation to copy number variation, immunophenoscore, tumor mutation load, and chemosensitivity. In addition, according to the median risk score, patients were separated into two risk subgroups, of which the low-risk group had a better prognosis, increased immunogenicity, and stronger immunotherapy efficacy. Furthermore, we constructed a prognostic nomogram and demonstrated its predictive value. These findings help us better understand the role of ARGs in OV and offer new perspectives for clinical prognosis and personalized treatment.

Osteoclast-like stromal giant cells in breast cancer likely belong to the spectrum of immunosuppressive tumor-associated macrophages

Background: Breast cancer with osteoclast-like stromal giant cells (OSGC) is an exceedingly rare morphological pattern of invasive breast carcinoma. The tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) of these tumors is populated by OSGC, which resemble osteoclasts and show a histiocytic-like immunophenotype. Their role in breast cancer is unknown. The osteoclast maturation in the bone is regulated by the expression of cytokines that are also present in the TIME of tumors and in breast cancer tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs). TAMs-mediated anti-tumor immune pathways are regulated by miRNAs akin to osteoclast homeostasis. Here, we sought to characterize the different cellular compartments of breast cancers with OSGC and investigate the similarities of OSGC with tumor and TIME in terms of morphology, protein, and miRNA expression, specifically emphasizing on monocytic signatures.

Methods and Results: Six breast cancers with OSGC were included. Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and TAMs were separately quantified. The different cellular populations (i.e., normal epithelium, cancer cells, and OSGC) were isolated from tissue sections by laser-assisted microdissection. After RNA purification, 752 miRNAs were analyzed using a TaqMan Advanced miRNA Low-Density Array for all samples. Differentially expressed miRNAs were identified by computing the fold change (log2Ratio) using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test and p values were corrected for multiple comparisons using the false discovery rate (FDR) approach. As a similarity analysis among samples, we used the Pearson test. The association between pairs of variables was investigated using Fisher exact test. Classical and non-classical monocyte miRNA signatures were finally applied. All OSGC displayed CD68 expression, TILs (range, 45–85%) and high TAMs (range, 35–75%). Regarding the global miRNAs profile, OSGC was more similar to cancer cells than to non-neoplastic ones. Shared deregulation of miR-143-3p, miR-195-5p, miR-181a-5p, and miR-181b-5p was observed between OSGC and cancer cells. The monocyte-associated miR-29a-3p and miR-21-3p were dysregulated in OSGCs compared with non-neoplastic or breast cancer tissues.

Conclusion: Breast cancers with OSGC have an activated TIME. Shared epigenetic events occur during the ontogenesis of breast cancer cells and OSGC but the innumophenotype and miRNA profiles of the different cellular compartmens suggest that OSGC likely belong to the spectrum of M2 TAMs.

Integrated analysis of the M2 macrophage-related signature associated with prognosis in ovarian cancer

Background

M2 macrophages play an important role in cancer development. However, the underlying biological fator affecting M2 macrophages infiltration in ovarian cancer (OV) has not been elucidated.

Methods

R software v 4.0.0 was used for all the analysis. The expression profile and clinical information of OV patients enrolled in this study were all downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas and Gene Expression Omnibus databases.

Results

The CIBERSORT algorithm was used to quantify the M2 macrophage infiltration in OV tissue, which was found a risk factor for patients survival. Based on the limma package, a total of 196 DEGs were identified between OV patients with high and low M2 macrophage infiltration, which were defined as M2 macrophages related genes. Finally, the genes PTGFR, LILRA2 and KCNA1 were identified for prognosis model construction, which showed a great prediction efficiency in both training and validation cohorts (Training cohort, 1-year AUC = 0.661, 3-year AUC = 0.682, 8-year AUC = 0.846; Validation cohort, 1-year AUC = 0.642, 3-year AUC = 0.716, 5-year AUC = 0.741). Clinical correlation showed that the riskscore was associated with the worse clinical features. Pathway enrichment analysis showed that in high risk patients, the pathway of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), TNF-α signaling via NFKB, IL2/STAT5 signaling, apical junction, inflammatory response, KRAS signaling, myogenesis were activated. Moreover, we found that the PTGFR, LILRA2 and KCNA1 were all positively correlated with M2 macrophage infiltration and PTGFR was significantly associated with the pathway of autophagy regulation. Moreover, we found that the low risk patients might be more sensitive to cisplatin, while high risk patient might be more sensitive to axitinib, bexarotene, bortezomib, nilotinib, pazopanib.

Conclusions

In this study, we identified the genes associated with M2 macrophage infiltration and developed a model that could effectively predict the prognosis of OV patients.

Recent advances of non-coding RNAs in ovarian cancer prognosis and therapeutics

Ovarian cancer (OC) is the third most common gynecological malignancy with the highest mortality worldwide. OC is usually diagnosed at an advanced stage, and the standard treatment is surgery combined with platinum or paclitaxel chemotherapy. However, chemoresistance inevitably appears coupled with the easy recurrence and poor prognosis. Thus, early diagnosis, predicting prognosis, and reducing chemoresistance are of great significance for controlling the progression and improving treatment effects of OC. Recently, much insight has been gained into the non-coding RNA (ncRNA) that is employed for RNAs but does not encode a protein, and many types of ncRNAs have been characterized including long-chain non-coding RNAs, microRNAs, and circular RNAs. Accumulating evidence indicates these ncRNAs play very active roles in OC progression and metastasis. In this review, we briefly discuss the ncRNAs as biomarkers for OC prognosis. We focus on the recent advances of ncRNAs as therapeutic targets in preventing OC metastasis, chemoresistance, immune escape, and metabolism. The novel strategies for ncRNAs-targeted therapy are also exploited for improving the survival of OC patients.

Exosomes Derived from microRNA-21 Overexpressing Neural Progenitor Cells Prevent Hearing Loss from Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury in Mice via Inhibiting the Inflammatory Process in the Cochlea

Both exosomes derived from neural progenitor cells (NPCs) can suppress inflammation. Whether exosomes derived from miR-21-transfected NPCs (miR-21-Exo) could be utilized to alleviate hearing loss is investigated. NPCs were transfected with lentiviral vectors overexpressing miR-21, and miR-21-Exo was purified. Morphology and exosome membrane markers were examined with nanoparticle tracking analysis, transmission electron microscopy, and Western blot. After incubation with different concentrations of miR-21-Exo, the viability of RAW 264.7 cells and the relative expressions of miR-21 and IL-10 were determined. The ischemia and reperfusion (I/R) model of C57BL/6 J mice was constructed, and the treatment benefit of miR-21-Exo was revealed by the auditory brainstem response (ABR) test. Immunofluorescence staining of caspase-3 and parvalbumin was used to detect apoptosis hair cells in the cochlea, and Western blot was utilized to detect the relative expressions of P53 and inflammatory cytokines in the cochlea. Isolated exosomes were confirmed by the size of 96 ± 25 nm, single membrane, and positive expression of CD9 and Tsg101. Upregulated miR-21 expression was detected in miR-21-transfected NPCs and miR-21-Exo. miR-21-Exo incubation demonstrated no cytotoxicity but upregulated miR-21 and IL-10 expressions in RAW 264.7 cells. The administration of miR-21-Exo inhibited the increased ABR threshold under 8, 16, and 32 kHz frequencies in cochlea-I/R injury mice and diminished the mean fluorescent intensity of caspase-3/parvalbumin. Moreover, miR-21-Exo treatment increased the IL-10 expression and prevented the increased TNF-α and IL-1β expressions in the cochlea of I/R mice both in mRNA and protein levels. Inner ear administration of miR-21-Exo effectively improved hearing damage caused by I/R.

Potential therapeutic applications of microRNAs in cancer diagnosis and treatment: Sharpening a double-edged sword?

Cancer is a leading cause of increased morbidity and mortality worldwide despite advancements in diagnosis and treatment. Lack of early detection and diagnosis of different cancers and adverse effects and toxicity associated with conventional cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiation, remains a problem. MicroRNAs can act as oncogenes or tumour suppressors in different types of cancers. Their distinct gene expression in various stages and types of cancerous cells make them attractive targets for cancer diagnosis and therapy. The growing research and clinical interests in gene therapy and nano-drug delivery systems have led to the development of potential miRNA-targeted treatments encompassing miRNA mimics, antagonists, and their use in cancer chemotherapy sensitization. In this review, we discuss the recent advancements in understanding the role of miRNAs in cancer development and their potential use as biomarkers in clinical diagnostics and as targets in chemotherapy of cancer.

Cdc42 promotes thyroid cancer cell proliferation and migration and tumor-associated macrophage polarization through the PTEN/AKT pathway

The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential mechanism and function of Cdc42 in thyroid cancer. We found that knockdown of Cdc42 inhibited the migration and proliferation of WRO cells. This role of Cdc42 is achieved by interacting with PTEN and interfering with its PTEN nuclear translocation. The overexpression of Cdc42 enhances the production of lactic acid and promotes the polarization of M2 macrophages, and therefore M2 macrophages inhibit the function of T cells. Overall, Cdc42 can promote cell proliferation and migration through the PTEN/AKT pathway and promote tumor-related M2 macrophage polarization and inhibit T cell activity by enhancing aerobic glycolysis, animal experiments confirmed that tumor volume increased after Cdc42 overexpressed in TBP-3743 murine thyroid cancer cells. Increased infiltration of Treg and macrophages was also observed. taken together, our results indicate that Cdc42 can be used as a diagnostic and thyroid cancer Prognostic biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets.

ROS and miRNA Dysregulation in Ovarian Cancer Development, Angiogenesis and Therapeutic Resistance

The diverse repertoires of cellular mechanisms that progress certain cancer types are being uncovered by recent research and leading to more effective treatment options. Ovarian cancer (OC) is among the most difficult cancers to treat. OC has limited treatment options, especially for patients diagnosed with late-stage OC. The dysregulation of miRNAs in OC plays a significant role in tumorigenesis through the alteration of a multitude of molecular processes. The development of OC can also be due to the utilization of endogenously derived reactive oxygen species (ROS) by activating signaling pathways such as PI3K/AKT and MAPK. Both miRNAs and ROS are involved in regulating OC angiogenesis through mediating multiple angiogenic factors such as hypoxia-induced factor (HIF-1) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). The NAPDH oxidase subunit NOX4 plays an important role in inducing endogenous ROS production in OC. This review will discuss several important miRNAs, NOX4, and ROS, which contribute to therapeutic resistance in OC, highlighting the effective therapeutic potential of OC through these mechanisms.

Exosomal microRNAs shuttling between tumor cells and macrophages: cellular interactions and novel therapeutic strategies

Extracellular vesicles secreted by tumor microenvironment (TME) cells are vital players in tumor progression through transferring nucleic acids and proteins. Macrophages are the main immune cells in TME and tumor associated macrophages (TAM) express M2 phenotype, which induce tumor proliferation, angiogenesis, invasion, metastasis and immune elimination, resulting in the subsequent evolution of malignancies. There are a high number of studies confirmed that tumor cells and TAM interact with each other through extracellular vesicles in various cancers, like pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, gastric cancer, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, colon cancer, glioblastoma, hepatocellular cancer, and lung cancer. Herein, this review summarizes the current knowledge on mechanisms of communications between tumor cells and TAM via extracellular vesicles, mainly about microRNAs, and targeting these events might represent a novel approach in the clinical implications of this knowledge into successful anti-cancer strategies.

GATA binding protein 1 recruits histone deacetylase 2 to the promoter region of nuclear receptor binding protein 2 to affect the tumor microenvironment and malignancy of thyroid carcinoma

The tumor microenvironment (TME) and activated angiogenesis in thyroid carcinoma (TC) are critical for tumor growth and metastasis. Nuclear receptor binding protein 2 (NRBP2) has been suggested as a tumor suppressor. This study examines the function of NRBP2 in the progression of TC and the regulatory mechanism. By analyzing bioinformatic tools including GSE165724 dataset and the Cancer Genome Atlas system, we predicted NRBP2 as a poorly expressed gene in TC. Decreased NRBP2 expression was detected in TC tumor tissues and cells. Poor expression of NRBP2 was linked to unfavorable prognosis of patients. GATA binding protein 1 (GATA1) was found as a negative regulator of NRBP2. It recruited histone deacetylase2 (HDAC2) to the NRBP2 promoter to trigger histone deacetylation. NRBP2 overexpression suppressed growth of TC cells, and it reduced expression of TME markers, M2 polarization of macrophages, and angiogenesis in TC. Similar results were reproduced in vivo in nude mice. However, the anti-oncogenic roles of NRBP2 were blocked after further overexpression of GATA1 or HDAC2. In summary, this study demonstrates that GATA1 recruits HDAC2 to the NRBP2 promoter and enhances the TME and angiogenesis in TC cells.

CTCF-Induced lncRNA C5orf66-AS1 Facilitates the Progression of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer via Sponging miR-149-5p to Up-Regulate CTCF and CTNNB1 to Activate Wnt/β-Catenin Pathway

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) represents one of the subtypes of breast cancer with high aggressiveness. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are well-known to function as crucial regulators in human cancers which include TNBC.

DNA methyltransferase 3 beta regulates promoter methylation of microRNA-149 to augment esophageal squamous cell carcinoma development through the ring finger protein 2/Wnt/β-catenin axis

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is an aggressive form of human squamous cell carcinomas with extremely aggressive pathological features. This study explores the functions of microRNA-149 (miR-149) and its interacted molecules in ESCC. The ESCC-related miRNA and messenger RNA (mRNA) datasets were applied to identify aberrantly expressed genes in ESCC. Forty-two patients with ESCC were included and their tissue samples were collected. miR-149 was poorly expressed whereas DNA methyltransferase 3 beta (DNMT3B) and ring finger protein 2 (RNF2) were abundantly expressed in ESCC tumor samples. Overexpression of miR-149 suppressed growth and invasiveness of ESCC cells in vitro and in vivo. DNMT3B bound to the promoter region of miR-149 to trigger its promoter methylation and downregulation. RNF2 mRNA was a target of miR-149. RNF2 overexpression blocked the inhibitory effect of miR-149 on ESCC cell growth. RNF2 activated the Wnt/β-catenin pathway to promote ESCC development. In conclusion, this study found that DNMT3B downregulates miR-149 level through methylation modification of the miR-149 promoter, while miR-149 suppresses RNF2 expression and inactivates the Wnt/β-catenin pathway to suppress growth of ESCC cells.

Combined PD-1/PD-L1 and tumor-infiltrating immune cells redefined a unique molecular subtype of high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma

Background

High-grade serous ovarian carcinoma is highly heterogeneous, and although many studies have been conducted to identify high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma molecular subtypes that are sensitive to immunotherapy, no precise molecular subtype has been proposed to date. Immune cell infiltration and immune checkpoints are highly correlated with immunotherapy. Here, we investigated immune cell infiltration and immune checkpoint values for prognosis and precise immunotherapy for high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma based on molecular subtype classification.

Results

“High antigen-presenting cells infiltration molecular subtype of high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma” was identified in immune cell infiltration profiles. Each of the three immune cell infiltration clusters (A, B, and C) demonstrated distinct immune cell characterization, with immune cell infiltration cluster C exhibiting high antigen-presenting cell infiltration, improved prognosis, and higher sensitivity to immunotherapy. Programmed death-1/programmed death ligand 1 has a prognostic and predictive role that can help classify molecular subtypes.

Conclusions

Our findings redefined a unique molecular subtype of high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma, suggesting that high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma patients with higher antigen-presenting cell infiltration and programmed death-1/programmed death ligand 1 expression can benefit from precise immunotherapy.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12864-021-08265-y.

Onco-miR-21 Promotes Stat3-Dependent Gastric Cancer Progression

MicroRNA-21 (miR-21) is a small, non-coding RNA overexpressed in gastric cancer and many other solid malignancies, where it exhibits both pro-and anti-tumourigenic properties. However, the pathways regulating miR-21 and the consequences of its inhibition in gastric cancer remain incompletely understood. By exploiting the spontaneous Stat3-dependent formation of inflammation-associated gastric tumors in Gp130^F/F mice, we functionally established miR-21 as a Stat3-controlled driver of tumor growth and progression. We reconciled our discoveries by identifying several conserved Stat3 binding motifs upstream of the miR-21 gene promoter, and showed that the systemic administration of a miR-21-specific antisense oligonucleotide antagomir reduced the established gastric tumor burden in Gp130^F/F mice. We molecularly delineated the therapeutic benefits of miR-21 inhibition with the functional restoration of PTEN in vitro and in vivo, alongside an attenuated epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and the extracellular matrix remodeling phenotype of tumors. We corroborated our preclinical findings by correlating high STAT3 and miR-21 expression with the reduced survival probability of gastric cancer patients. Collectively, our results provide a molecular framework by which miR-21 mediates inflammation-associated gastric cancer progression, and establish miR-21 as a robust therapeutic target for solid malignancies characterized by excessive Stat3 activity.

Noncoding RNAs Interplay in Ovarian Cancer Therapy and Drug Resistance

Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) are several types of RNA that do not encode proteins, but are essential for cell regulation. Ovarian cancer (OC) is a type of gynecological cancer with a high mortality rate and a 5-year prognosis. OC is becoming more common with each passing year, and the symptoms of early-stage OC are sometimes undetectable. Meanwhile, early-stage OC has no symptoms and is difficult to diagnose. Because ncRNA has been shown to affect the development of OC and is widely distributed, it could be employed as a new biomarker for early OC. Furthermore, ncRNA has the potential to promote or inhibit drug resistance in OC, potentially giving a solution to multiple drug resistance. Various prior studies have found that different ncRNAs perform differently in OC. This article examines how mainstream ncRNAs have been expressed in OC in recent years, as well as their function in tumor growth.

Identification of CD8+ T Cell Related Biomarkers in Ovarian Cancer

Background: Immunotherapy is a promising strategy for ovarian cancer (OC), and this study aims to identify biomarkers related to CD8⁺ T cell infiltration to further discover the potential therapeutic target. Methods: Three datasets with OC transcriptomic data were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases. Two immunotherapy treated cohorts were obtained from the Single Cell Portal and Mariathasan's study. The infiltration fraction of immune cells was quantified using three different algorithms, Cell-type Identification by Estimating Relative Subsets of RNA Transcripts (CIBERSORT), and microenvironment cell populations counter (MCPcounter), and single-sample GSEA (ssGSEA). Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was applied to identify the co-expression modules and related genes. The nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF) method was proposed for sample classification. The mutation analysis was conducted using the "maftools" R package. Key molecular markers with implications for prognosis were screened by univariate COX regression analysis and K-M survival analysis, which were further determined by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Results: A total of 313 candidate CD8⁺ T cell-related genes were identified by taking the intersection from the TCGA-OV and GSE140082 cohorts. The NMF clustering analysis suggested that patients in the TCGA-OV cohort were divided into two clusters and the Cluster 1 group showed a worse prognosis. In contrast, Cluster 2 had higher amounts of immune cell infiltration, elevated ssGSEA scores in immunotherapy, and a higher mutation burden. CSMD3, MACF1, PDE4DIP, and OBSCN were more frequently mutated in Cluster 1, while SYNE2 was more frequently mutated in Cluster 2. CD38 and CXCL13 were identified by univariate COX regression analysis and K-M survival analysis in the TCGA-OV cohort, which were further externally validated in GSE140082 and GSE32062. Of note, patients with lower CXCL13 expression showed a worse prognosis and the CR/PR group had a higher expression of CXCL13 in two immunotherapy treated cohorts. Conclusion: OC patients with different CD8⁺ T cell infiltration had distinct clinical prognoses. CXCL13 might be a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of OC.

The miRNA mir-582-3p suppresses ovarian cancer progression by targeting AKT/MTOR signaling via lncRNA TUG1

Ovarian cancer (OC) is one of the most common malignancies of the female reproductive system. The miRNA miR-582-3p is associated with a variety of tumors, and the aim of this study was to investigate the role and mechanisms of miR-582-3p specifically in ovarian carcinogenesis and progression. Low expression of miR-582-3p was noted in OC tissue and cell lines, and lower expression of miR-582-3p correlated with lower overall survival in OC patients. Knockdown of miR-582-3p promoted the proliferation and migration of OC cells, while overexpression inhibited them. TUG1, a long non-coding RNA, was found to bind to miR-582-3p, and inhibition of lncRNA TUG1 decreased viability and migration and weakened the effect of miR-582-3p knockdown in OC cells. Implantation of OC cells with reduced miR-582-3p caused increased tumor growth, while lncRNA TUG1 knockdown suppressed tumor growth and relieved the impact of reduced miR-582-3p in vivo. Phosphorylation of AKT and mTOR were significantly enhanced with decreased miR-582-3p expression, but lncRNA TUG1 knockdown attenuated this trend in vitro and in vivo. The novel miR-582-3p represses the malignant properties of OC via the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway by targeting lncRNA TUG1. This axis may represent valuable prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for OC.

Exosomes secreted by M2 macrophages promote cancer stemness of hepatocellular carcinoma via the miR-27a-3p/TXNIP pathways

OBJECTIVE

Accumulating evidence has suggested that microRNAs (miRNAs) derived from M2 macrophage-derived exosomes (M2 exosomes) can regulate the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Nevertheless, the effect of miR-27a-3p derived from M2 exosomes on HCC has not been reported. We aim to explore the role of M2 exosomal miR-27a-3p in the cancer stemness of HCC via regulating thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP).

METHODS

Exosomes were extracted from transfected M2 macrophages and were then co-cultured with HCC cells. Expression of miR-27a-3p and TXNIP, stemness, proliferation, drug resistance, migration, invasion and in vivo tumorigenicity of HCC cells were determined to assess the role of M2 exosomal miR-27a-3p in HCC. The binding relationship between miR-27a-3p and TXNIP was detected.

RESULTS

MiR-27a-3p was upregulated and TXNIP was downregulated in HCC cells, and M2 exosomes further upregulated miR-27a-3p. The upregulated M2 exosomal miR-27a-3p promoted stemness, proliferation, drug resistance, migration, invasion and in vivo tumorigenicity of HCC cells. TXNIP was confirmed as a target gene of miR-27a-3p.

CONCLUSION

M2 macrophages-derived exosomal miR-27a-3p promotes cancer stemness of HCC via downregulating TXNIP.

Alternatively spliced ANLN isoforms synergistically contribute to the progression of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a common cancer with high mortality. Anilin actin-binding protein (ANLN) has been reported to be associated with carcinogenesis in multiple tumors. However, the expression pattern and functional effects of ANLN in HNSCC remain to be unclear. Clinical data and online databases were used to analyze the expression of ANLN and its relationship with HNSCC patient survival. Expression of two major splice variants of ANLN was assessed in HNSCC tissues and cell lines. The functional effects and related mechanisms of ANLN isoforms were investigated in HNSCC in vitro and in vivo. Our study showed that patients with high expression of ANLN had a poor prognosis. The two primary isoforms of ANLN transcripts ANLN-201 and ANLN-210 were highly expressed in HNSCC tissues and cell lines. Knockout of ANLN restrained cell proliferation, migration, and invasion of SCC-9 cells. Mechanically, ANLN-201 could interact with c-Myc to keep its protein stability, thereby playing a oncogenic role in HNSCC. ANLN-210 could be transferred to macrophages via exosomes by binding to RNA-binding protein hnRNPC. Exosomal ANLN-210 promoted macrophage polarization via PTEN/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, thus stimulating tumor growth of HNSCC. ANLN was an independent prognostic factor in patients with HNSCC. Alternatively spliced ANLN isoforms collaboratively promote HNSCC tumorigenesis in vitro and in vivo, which might provide the in-depth role and mechanism of ANLN in HNSCC development.

MicroRNA-21 Deficiency Promotes the Early Th1 Immune Response and Resistance toward Visceral Leishmaniasis

MicroRNA-21 (miR-21) inhibits IL-12 expression and impairs the Th1 response necessary for control of Leishmania infection. Recent studies have shown that Leishmania infection induces miR-21 expression in dendritic cells and macrophages, and inhibition of miR-21 restores IL-12 expression. Because miR-21 is known to be expressed due to inflammatory stimuli in a wide range of hematopoietic cells, we investigated the role of miR-21 in regulating immune responses during visceral leishmaniasis (VL) caused by Leishmania donovani infection. We found that miR-21 expression was significantly elevated in dendritic cells, macrophages, inflammatory monocytes, polymorphonuclear neutrophils, and in the spleen and liver tissues after L. donovani infection, concomitant with an increased expression of disease exacerbating IL-6 and STAT3. Bone marrow dendritic cells from miR-21 knockout (miR-21KO) mice showed increased IL-12 production and decreased production of IL-10. On L. donovani infection, miR-21KO mice exhibited significantly greater numbers of IFN-γ- and TNF-α-producing CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells in their organs that was associated with increased production of Th1-associated IFN-γ, TNF-α, and NO from the splenocytes. Finally, miR-21KO mice displayed significantly more developing and mature hepatic granulomas leading to reduction in organ parasitic loads compared with wild type counterparts. Similar results were noted in L. donovani-infected wild type mice after transient miR-21 depletion. These observations indicate that miR-21 plays a critical role in pathogenesis of VL by suppressing IL-12- and Th1-associated IFN-γ and also inducing disease-promoting induction of the IL-6 and STAT-3 signaling pathway. miR-21 could therefore be used as a potential target for developing host-directed treatment for VL.

Shaping Immune Responses in the Tumor Microenvironment of Ovarian Cancer

Reciprocal signaling between immune cells and ovarian cancer cells in the tumor microenvironment can alter immune responses and regulate disease progression. These signaling events are regulated by multiple factors, including genetic and epigenetic alterations in both the ovarian cancer cells and immune cells, as well as cytokine pathways. Multiple immune cell types are recruited to the ovarian cancer tumor microenvironment, and new insights about the complexity of their interactions have emerged in recent years. The growing understanding of immune cell function in the ovarian cancer tumor microenvironment has important implications for biomarker discovery and therapeutic development. This review aims to describe the factors that shape the phenotypes of immune cells in the tumor microenvironment of ovarian cancer and how these changes impact disease progression and therapy.

MiR-200b is upregulated in plasma-derived exosomes and functions as an oncogene by promoting macrophage M2 polarization in ovarian cancer

Background

Ovarian cancer is the seventh most common cancer in women and the second most reason of gynecologic cancer-related death. Growing evidence showed that exosomal miRNA plays a crucial role in the progression of ovarian cancer.

Methods

Exosomes were identified using nanoparticle tracking analysis, transmission electron microscopy and marker proteins detection. The levels of mRNA and proteins were ensured by qRT-PCR and western blot, respectively. Immunofluorescence, flow cytometry and ELISA assay were carried out to analyze macrophages polarization. CCK-8 and Transwell assay were used to measure the cell viability and invasion of ovarian cancer cells. The interaction of miR-200b and Kruppel like factor 6 (KLF6) was ensured by using luciferase reporter assay.

Results

Here, we obtained plasma-derived exosomes successfully, and proved that miR-200b was increased in the exosomes of ovarian cancer patients. Subsequently, our data showed that increasing of miR-200b could promote macrophage M2 polarization, but inhibit M1 polarization. miR-200b-overexpressed macrophages-conditioned medium notably enhanced the cell viability and invasion of ovarian cancer cells. Moreover, increasing of miR-200b inhibited KLF6 expression, while decreasing of miR-200b promoted KLF6 expression. Overexpression of KLF6 recused miR-200b-induced macrophage polarization toward M2, and the inhibitory effect of miR-200b on M1 polarization.

Conclusions

Overall, our results demonstrated that miR-200b was highly expressed in the plasma-derived exosome of ovarian cancer patients, and promoted the proliferation and invasion of ovarian cancer cells through inducing macrophage M2 polarization by suppressing KLF6 expression. Our results suggested that miR-200b might be a novel target for ovarian cancer treatment.

Not Only Immune Escape-The Confusing Role of the TRP Metabolic Pathway in Carcinogenesis

BACKGROUND

The recently discovered phenomenon that cancer cells can avoid immune response has gained scientists' interest. One of the pathways involved in this process is tryptophan (TRP) metabolism through the kynurenine pathway (KP). Individual components involved in TRP conversion seem to contribute to cancerogenesis both through a direct impact on cancer cells and the modulation of immune cell functionality. Due to this fact, this pathway may serve as a target for immunotherapy and attempts are being made to create novel compounds effective in cancer treatment. However, the results obtained from clinical trials are not satisfactory, which raises questions about the exact role of KP elements in tumorigenesis. An increasing number of experiments reveal that TRP metabolites may either be tumor promoters and suppressors and this is why further research in this field is highly needed. The aim of this study is to present KP as a modulator of cancer development through multiple mechanisms and to point to its ambiguity, which may be a reason for failures in treatment based on the inhibition of tryptophan metabolism.

miR-21 Exerts Anti-proliferative and Pro-apoptotic Effects in LPS-induced WI-38 Cells via Directly Targeting TIMP3

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive lung disease, which was caused by a complex interplay of inflammatory responses and chronic damage. miR-21 is increased in patients with IPF, but its function in the embryonic lung-derived diploid fibroblasts cells subjected to LPS is elusive. miRNA expression profile was obtained from GEO database and target genes of miRNAs were forecasted by TargetScan. To mimic the LPS-induced injury, different concentrations of LPS were applied to treat WI-38 cells. Functional in vitro experiments were conducted to examine the role of miR-21 and TIMP3. Luciferase report assay was performed to verify the relationship between miR-21 and TIMP3. qRT-PCR, western blotting, and ELISA were conducted to detect the levels of the related miRNAs, proteins, and inflammatory factors. miR-21 presented higher levels in interstitial pneumonia patients and LPS-induced WI-38 cells. Overexpression of miR-21 was negatively correlated with the proliferative capability of LPS-treated WI-38 cells. miR-21 directly targets TIMP3. TIMP3 restored the suppressive impact of miR-21 mimic on the proliferation, while TIMP3 alleviated the promoting impact of miR-21 mimic on the apoptosis of WI-38 cells treated by LPS. miR-21 inhibited Bcl-2 but increased Bax, cleaved caspase-3, and cleaved caspase-9. Besides, miR-21 elevated the levels of IL-6 and IL-β but reduced the IL-10, which were weakened by TIMP3. Totally, miR-21 aggravated the LPS-induced lung injury and modulated inflammatory responses by targeting TIMP3.

The emerging role of miRNA in the perturbation of tumor immune microenvironment in chemoresistance: Therapeutic implications

Chemoresistance is a major hindrance in cancer chemotherapies, a leading cause of tumor recurrence and cancer-related deaths. Cancer cells develop numerous strategies to elude immune attacks and are regulated by immunological factors. Cancer cells can alter the expression of several immune modulators to upregulate the activities of immune checkpoint pathways. Targeting the immune checkpoint inhibitors is a part of the cancer immunotherapy altered during carcinogenesis. These immune modulators have the capability to reprogram the tumor microenvironment, thereby change the efficacy of chemotherapeutics. In general, the sensitivity of drugs is reduced in the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, resulting in chemoresistance and tumor relapse. The regulation of microRNAs (miRNAs) is well established in cancer initiation, progression, and therapy. Intriguingly, miRNA affects cancer immune surveillance and immune response by targeting immune checkpoint inhibitors in the tumor microenvironment. miRNAs alter the gene expression at the post-transcriptional level, which modulates both innate and adaptive immune systems. Alteration of tumor immune microenvironment influences drug sensitivity towards cancer cells. Besides, the expression profile of immune-modulatory miRNAs can be used as a potential biomarker to predict the response and clinical outcomes in cancer immunotherapy and chemotherapy. Recent evidences have revealed that cancer-derived immune-modulatory miRNAs might be promising targets to counteract cancer immune escape, thereby increasing drug efficacy. In this review, we have compiled the role of miRNAs in overcoming the chemoresistance by modulating tumor microenvironment and discussed their preclinical and clinical implications.

Identification of three molecular subtypes based on immune infiltration in ovarian cancer and its prognostic value

BACKGROUND

Increasing studies suggest that tumor immune infiltration is a relative factor of prognosis in ovarian cancer (OvCa). The present study explored the composition of tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TIICs) in OvCa using CIBERSORT algorithm and further assessed their values for prognosis and therapeutic strategies by molecular subtypes.

METHODS

Publicly available databases including The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and GTEx were searched. Ovarian tumor samples were available from TCGA, and normal ovarian samples were obtained from the GTEx dataset. The relative proportions of immune cell profiling in OvCa and normal samples were evaluated by CIBERSORT algorithm. Association between each immune cell subtype and survival was inferred by the fractions of 22 immune cell types. "CancerSubtypes" R-package was employed to identify the three types of molecular classification and analyze the functional enrichment in each subclass. Response to immunotherapy and anticancer drug targets was predicted via TIDE algorithm and GDSC dataset.

RESULTS

Substantial variation reflecting individual difference was identified between cancer and normal tissues in the immune infiltration profiles. T cells CD4 memory activated, macrophages M1 were associated with improved overall survival (OS) as evaluated by univariate Cox regression and multivariate Cox. Three subtypes were identified by ´CancerSubtypes' R-package and every sub-cluster possessed specific immune cell characterization. Meanwhile, Cluster II exhibited poor prognosis and sensitive response to immunotherapy.

CONCLUSIONS

The cellular component of immune infiltration shows remarkable variation in OvCa. Profiling of immune infiltration is useful in prediction of prognosis of OvCa. The results from profiling might be considered in therapeutic modulation.